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Effects Problem Solved?????

I just got an IDEA! :idea: :idea:

How about programming a controller (long range, low delay) that watches our (short range, highest delay) controller, that controlls our effect?

I have to admit, it get's a bit complicated :eek: , but it could be the solution ... I will try the next days ...
 
Maybe not a controller who controlls another, but two different controllers for the different distances.

BTW: I never had problems with effecs not showing up when coming from another airport.
 
But the two controllers should know of each other, because when you arrive the "distance controller" switches on the light and when you taxi near the light it would get switched on a second time, which leads to not very nice looking SUPERBRIGHT lights :(
 
I tried today to link an effect to a model which only shows up at a certain distance. It works fine for the model but the effect is shown independent of the model ;-(

I think the problem with the controller/effect is that there is no possibility to enter a range within which an effect is visible. For example between 5000 and 10000 metres. It is only possible to set the controller/effect to a range starting with 0.
At the moment I try to make AD Beacons with effects. But to see the effect also some kilometres away it needs to be very large. And it looks of course strange if you´re in front of the tower and seems to explode in a great ball of light ;-). So I made two different effects with different sizes. The only problem is now to switch off the large effect at a certain distance.
 
Hi guys!

Seems to be I found solution for me with your help.

Effect parameters: DAWN, DAY, DUSK, NIGHT have higher priority then others in effect/controller file. Lights successfully switching off in time even with huge delay. So my controller is next:

Code: 
[Library Effect]
Lifetime=5
Version=1.00
Radius=-1
Priority=0

[controller.0]
lifetime=0.0, 0.0 
type=3 
distance=0.00, 1000.00
delay=86400.00, 86400.00
x offset=0.00, 0.00
y offset=0.00, 0.00
z offset=0.00, 0.00
effect.0=fx_uwww_spot_e, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

My effect is next:
Code: 
[Library Effect]
Lifetime=5
Version=2.00
Display Name=Lamp Spot effect
Radius=200
Priority=0

[Properties]
Cockpit=1
VirtualCockpit=1
Spot=1
Tower=1
Map=1

[Emitter.0]
Lifetime=0.50, 0.50
Delay=0.00, 0.00
Bounce=0.00
Rate=1.00, 1.00
X Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Y Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Z Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Drag=0.00, 0.00
X Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Y Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Z Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00
X Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Y Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Z Rotation=0.00, 0.00
X Offset=0.00, 0.00
Y Offset=0.00, 0.00
Z Offset=0.00, 0.00
Pitch=0.00, 0.00
Bank=0.00, 0.00
Heading=0.00, 0.00

[Particle.0]
Lifetime=0.00, 0.00
Type=19
X Scale=25.00, 25.00
Y Scale=25.00, 25.00
Z Scale=0.00, 0.00
X Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Y Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Z Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Drag=0.00, 0.00
Color Rate=0.00, 1.00
X Offset=0.00, 0.00
Y Offset=0.00, 0.00
Z Offset=0.00, 0.00
Fade In=0.00, 0.00
Fade Out=0.00, 0.00
Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Ground Normal=1
Shade=0
Static=1
Face=0, 0, 0

[ParticleAttributes.0]
Blend Mode=2
Texture=fx_spot.bmp
Bounce=0.00
Color Start=16, 16, 16, 100
Color End=16, 16, 16, 128
Jitter Distance=0.00
Jitter Time=0.00
uv1=0.00, 0.00
uv2=1.00, 1.00
X Scale Goal=0.00
Y Scale Goal=0.00
Z Scale Goal=0.00
Extrude Length=0.00
Extrude Pitch Max=0.00
Extrude Heading Max=0.00
 
Code: 
Distance = 0.00, 1000.00

As far as I understand the manual, a random distance between these two values is chosen for every light to start shining ... is that correct? :(
Please tell me that I'm wrong!
 
Hi Georg!

You right. Everywhere in effects when you see x, y it means min and max values. So I have to doublecheck it again.

Thanks!
 
YEAH!!!!!! I GOT IT!!!!! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:


Boys - we are really dumb! :rolleyes:

Problem:
:alert: If we attach the fx-file, the lights are on, when we are starting at the airport, but off, when arriving from more than 10 miles away.
:alert: If we use the controller-file, the lights are on, when we are arriving, but off, when we are starting there.

WHY NOT ATTACHING THE CONTROLLER AND TH FX-FILE??? :wizard:

I did it, and it works!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
I made two boxes, one is the attachpoint to the controller (distance= 5000.0, 5000.0) and the other is the attachpoint to the fx-file.


:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
 
Georg,

I need to understand exactly what you have done here to solve this....

I would love a start to end tutorial.... possible?
 
No problem:

I made the Lights in GMX and on the ground I built two boxes.

Box one is the attachpoint of the fx-file "fx_EDDB_spot.fx"

Code: 
[Library Effect]
Lifetime=5
Version=2.00
Display Name=Lamp Spot effect
Radius=100
Priority=0

[Properties]
Cockpit=1
VirtualCockpit=1
Spot=1
Tower=1
Map=1

[Emitter.0]
Lifetime=0.50, 0.50
Delay=0.00, 0.00
Bounce=0.00
Rate=1.00, 1.00
X Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Y Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Z Emitter Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Drag=0.00, 0.00
X Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Y Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00
Z Particle Velocity=0.00, 0.00
X Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Y Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Z Rotation=0.00, 0.00
X Offset=0.00, 0.00
Y Offset=0.00, 0.00
Z Offset=0.00, 0.00
Pitch=0.00, 0.00
Bank=0.00, 0.00
Heading=0.00, 0.00

[Particle.0]
Lifetime=0.00, 0.00
Type=19
X Scale=40.00, 40.00
Y Scale=40.00, 40.00
Z Scale=0.00, 0.00
X Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Y Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Z Scale Rate=0.00, 0.00
Drag=0.00, 0.00
Color Rate=0.00, 0.00
X Offset=0.00, 0.00
Y Offset=0.00, 0.00
Z Offset=0.00, 0.00
Fade In=0.00, 0.00
Fade Out=0.00, 0.00
Rotation=0.00, 0.00
Ground Normal=1
Shade=0
Static=1
Face=0, 0, 0

[ParticleAttributes.0]
Blend Mode=2
Texture=fx_EDDB_spot.bmp
TextureSize=256
Bounce=0.00
Color Start=100, 100, 100, 100
Color End=16, 16, 16, 128
Jitter Distance=0.00
Jitter Time=0.00
uv1=0.00, 0.00
uv2=1.00, 1.00
X Scale Goal=0.00
Y Scale Goal=0.00
Z Scale Goal=0.00
Extrude Length=0.00
Extrude Pitch Max=0.00
Extrude Heading Max=0.00

The texture file is a circle fading out from white in the center to black at the edges.
You can manipulate the brightness of the light by changing the first three values of

Code: 
Color Start=100, 100, 100, 100
These are RGB-Codes (I hope ;) )

Box two is the attachpoint of the controller-file "ctrl_EDDB_spot.fx":

Code: 
[Library Effect]
Lifetime=5
Version=2.00
Radius=-1
Priority=0

[controller.0]
lifetime=0.0, 0.0
type=3
distance=5000.00, 5000.00
delay=7200.00, 7200.00
x offset=0.00, 0.00
y offset=0.00, 0.00
z offset=0.00, 0.00
effect.0=fx_EDDB_spot, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

As you can see, the controller file starts the fx-file quoted above. So the fx-file works, when you start at the airport and the controller file will take care when you arrive and start over the fx-file :D


If it is not clear enough, please tell me, I could try to be more precise then ...

I should state that the initial idea was by Scorpio9999 - thanks pal!


One little problem just exists on - if you start AND arrive at the airport, the lights are twice as bright as soon as you left the 5km-zone ... :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
Yes, the reason this works with XML placed objects is because they draw directly. If an effect is attached to the object, then they draw when in the field of view.

What is happening is that the model is spawning outside of the radius that the effects work, which means that the model spawns, the effects say "Oh I'm nowhere near the plane, I'm not going to draw" and then the effects don't respawn because they were a one-time effect with infinite lifetime like lights or something.

So, the other work around is to set the lifetime of the emitter to 0.00,0.00

[Emitter.0]
Lifetime=0.00, 0.00

But then, you will be emitting sprites at the standard rate, which makes doing solid lights tough. If your frame rate dips, your lights get brighter due to overlap. Basically you give the emitter an infinite lifetime, then make the sprites have very short lifetimes and then emit a lot of them so they overlap and look solid.
 
Hi Evebody!
I'm here only to say thanks!
I made a controler a now all my effects are working!
 
Hi!

I am trying to fix this issue in my scenery.. have made controller files for my 4 effects... then I wonder: I have placed my effects using XML. To get the ctrl working I recon I have to edit the XML files and duplicate every placed effect but changing the effect to the ctrl-effect in the new duplicated lines, correct ?

So, will this work when compiled as ONE BGL file ?? Easiest way is to use notepad and just replace all the effects with the ctrl, and compile a new BGL for the controllers... any ideas ??

Freddy
 
fog said:
Hi!

I am trying to fix this issue in my scenery.. have made controller files for my 4 effects... then I wonder: I have placed my effects using XML. To get the ctrl working I recon I have to edit the XML files and duplicate every placed effect but changing the effect to the ctrl-effect in the new duplicated lines, correct ?

So, will this work when compiled as ONE BGL file ?? Easiest way is to use notepad and just replace all the effects with the ctrl, and compile a new BGL for the controllers... any ideas ??

Freddy
Click to expand...


Seems right to me.
 
Hi Georg!..

Ok,. I`ll go ahead and try... BUT: another member of this forum whispered in my ear I only need to assign the CTRL file... that the effect will show in all conditions...(flying from, and flying to...) ? Any thoughts ?

(BTW: You dont have to use QUOTE if you are replying to the last posted message in a thread, think about it, it makes sense, eh ? :))

freddy
 
Summary?

Guys... I am seeing a mixed message here. As I understand it, if the emitter on the effect is 0.00,0.00 then the effect with show. It will work as long as the users system does not drop below a reasonable framerate. (Even then it will work, but the light will draw again and get brighter.
 
Thats correct, If the emitter is 0.00, 0.00 then the effect will continue to run until out of range. I sure hope we get some more info from microsoft or atleast this issue fixed on the next version as its pretty annoying issue
 
After reading the post from Freddy(about the little bird) i went and tested 2 effects(smoke stack and steam) by just using attach script in gmax and attaching the controller only and had no problems starting out at the airport and also restarting and arriving at the airport. I havent tried it out on the light effects but i will create a controller and see what happens.
 
I have used only the controller fx on my airport.. and the lights show in all conditions (both starting from, arriving to, and also flying in and out of range of the fx..)

Im happy :))

Freddy
 
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